The 'remarkable' Manchester sports club that's won titles overseas - despite not having a home

A south Manchester playing field could soon be home to two new Gaelic Football and Hurling pitches in an effort to grow the Irish game in England.

The Lancashire County Board (LCB), the governing body of Gaelic games in the region, has submitted plans to build two pitches in place of ‘two unused rugby pitches at Hough End on the Broughton Park RUFC footprint’. The organisation says building the pitches — and associated netting and fencing to protect spectators — will remedy issues they face at the moment, like a lack of nearby toilets and changing rooms.

Other issues include trees overhanging their current pitches, also at Hough End, ‘rendering our main pitch unplayable without cutting the trees back from the pitch’, the LCB said in a planning statement. It also means its senior men’s hurling team cannot play ‘home’ matches in Manchester, instead having to cross the Irish Sea to fulfil their fixtures.

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Despite this, its teams have enjoyed remarkable success. The statement went on: “We participate in the National Hurling League and the All-Ireland Championship… we have to travel to Ireland for up to 12 weekends from February (at the start of the league campaign) to May (at the end of the championship).

“Remarkably we have won the National League and participated in three All-Ireland finals over the last five years. By relocating our pitches will immediately alleviate this problem and we will be able to host these games in Manchester thus affording significant economic gains to Manchester’s economy.”

The new pitches — which would be able to host Gaelic football and hurling as the dimensions and markings are identical — will also